Horse-checking device



No Model.) `2 sheets-Sheet 1. W. P. SMITH. HORSE GHEGKING DEVICE.

k. Illini-Imm.- VV

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. P. SMITH. HORSE GHEGKING DEVICE.

Patented Jan. 7, 1890.

@mt/me @om 511111014 loz UNITED STATES `PATENT' OFFICILT -WILLIAM P.SMITH, OF BENTON, VASHINGTON.

HORSE-CHECKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,082, dated January'7, 1890.

Application filed April 16, 1889. Serial No. 307,415. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM P. SMITH, a citt' zen of the United States,residing at Renton, in the county of King and Territory of Vashington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-CheckingDevices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in devicesfor preventing horses from running away while hitched to vehicles; andit consists, substantially, in such features of construction,arrangement, and combinations of parts as will hereinafter be moreparticularly described and claimed.

The invention is intended as an improvement upon the 4invention forwhich Letters vPatent were granted me on the 19th of March,

1889, and numbered 399,708, and wherein a movable shaft is operated atwill to fall into gear with a ring surrounding the hubof one of thevehicle-wheels, thereby setting the devices in operative condition. Theresult of the construction of devices resorted to is that should thehorse attempt to runaway the shaft will be rotated, and as it rotates itwinds up a strap or rein reaching to the mouth of the horse, andconsequently the harder the horse tries to run the stronger the pull orcheck exerted to his mouth.

The object of the present invention is to improve upon the mechanism foroperating the movable shaft so as to greatly cheapen the cost, and alsoto render the same much easier to operate and more effective in itsresults, all as will more fully hereinafter appear when taken inconnection with the acside view of a wagon having my improvementsembodied in connection therewith.

In carrying my present invention into effect I resort to a bracket thatis secured in any suitable manner to the side of the vehicle, preferablyat a point or position near to the rear wheels, the said bracket beinghollow and formed with an enlarged upper portion to Ieceive theoperating cam, and a vertical straight portion to receive thevertically-mov ing rack-bar. A pin passes through said enlarged portionof the bracket centrally, and it is on this pin that the cam turns whenit is moved by the lever formed therewith, and which lever is of alength to extend to the seat of the driver, so as to be under thedrivers control.

The combined cam and lever are hollow for the'purpose of lightness, andworking within the lever longitudinally is a rod, to the rear end ofwhich is formed a flat tongue that enters notches formed in the edges ofthe bracket, so as to lock the rack-bar to either of the positions towhich it may be brought, the action of such rod being entirelyautomatic. The cam is toothed on a portion of its periphery to engagethe rack-bar, and it may be here stated that the rack-bar supports themovable shaft of my former patent referred to by means of a hanger,substanthe same as before.

Reference being had to the several parts of the drawings by the lettersmarked thereon, A represents the hollow bracket that is formed with theenlarged upper portion a and the vertical portion b, the cam B beingreceived into said portion d, as shown, and working on a pin or rivet c,passing through the two centrally, while in the vertical portion b isseen the vertically-moving rack-bar O, which is engaged by the teeth dof the cam.

D represents a hollow lever, which is integral with the cam and which isformed at its rearward portion with a straight channel or guide e, inwhich works the flat tongue f, that is formed with the rod E, whichworks in the lever longitudinally, the forward end of said rod beingprovided with a handle g, passing through a slot 7a in the rod D nearits forward end. Surrounding the rod E within the lever is a spring t',the tendency IOO of which'is{toforcejor pressthe tongue f out;

said rod into the notches Z in the edges ofthe portion a of the bracketA, the said spring having its bearing at one end in the side of thelever, and at its other end against the shoulder m of the tongue portionof the rod. Above and below the series of notches Z in the bracket A isa stop n, bywhich the raising or lowering of the lever Dis limited inextent, as will be clearly obvious from the drawings.v i l F representsthe' hangerl supported by --the rack-bar near its lower end, andinrwhich is held the shaft G, that is caused to be raised or lowered, soas to have the pinion 0 therefon (shfown in dotted linesfengage with4the teetlr ofthe ring'p, (alsosliown vin 'dotted'r` linesif,V y y Zlflfelfmes'entsv the rear la-Xle of a vehicle,V Whieh,"as shown in Fig.1,A is supp'ortel'by a suitablefbracket, and which" bracket is Vinitended to be Asecured to 4thefund'er side ('if'ltlie bOdy'ofthev vehicleby means' of screws and nuts, also'as shown, This'bracket may for maynot,l as desired, 'form an integral part' of" thevertic'al"portionfb ofthe hollow bracket A'.

The operationiof my invention"isas'ffol-L lowfsz By grasping the handlegy of the 'rod'E andj'flrirhe; 'Sad "rfid ,frwdaeanst th action 4ofspringt the "tongue'f of safid'ro'd',` is withdrawn from the notches Zin thefedgesf" theportion a ofthe bracket, an'dthen'isthe" leefrDpermtted t0 be vised-o1'l0wf6d, acfding. 'aseai'fbe'desired, Byrai's'ii'gthe lev? thefin Bl bri "Mesto/10W@ the Meki" 'bargand' th/us,listhe sliaft'Gflowered to 'cause engagement' ot' thegpinion and ringfbywhich the s aidlslia'ft willf be rotated, Aand' the rein forf strap;supposed ,to connectwith themoiitli of the horse', will be wound Vup andexert such a strain asfto absolutely'prevent the aiiiinfalf from fgipg,jTojreifesetne'parts the pourris-j agill @fawn loutn'f'ar'd 'toreleas,e"the'tongrief and theflever Dfis lowered'until the'l shaftfhasifbeen lifted' out' 'of gear` thr'o'u'glr` the' medium of, the rack-barandscam, whereupon'thfe'rod E; is jpeieasdiand `the tongue' isremediate@ mati'cally i;ntofthenotchesthe action of springj1`,landtheseveialipait's thus lo'ckedinI position'.`

I have herein Yshown certain details in the construction of the severalparts; but it will be understood thatimmaterial changes therein could beresorted to, and consequently I do not wish to be understood as coniningmyself strictly thereto.V

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent,- is;

l1.l In a horse-checking device, the hollow bracket A, constructed ofthe enlarged up- `per portion'a and vertical portion "'b and formed withthe. notches Z,Y in combination with the rack-bar working in saidvertical portion, and means for raising and lowering said rack-bar,substantially as""described.'"f

2. "In I a Ahorse'#checking devicefthe hc-illow bracketv 'constructedof" 'the 'ienlargedf upper 'portion'ja and vertical'lpo'rtionb and tionsin combination "with the mak: im'

Working in said verticalfpoition, and im ea'ns for raising'and loweringsaid barian'd Ylockbine'd, fin combination with:A means.forigsupporti'nj'g'sai'd cam (and,v lever, the vsaid camT `rbe; ingyformed,"with" teeth'on a part of'jits Q 'pe" riphery adaptedto engagethe teeth of,` the ra'ckbar, substan'tially as'slown, Eand for t-helpurpose'set forth.'

4." In t'a horsel'checking i device', the; co'mbif l nation', i" the"rotating shaft Aand' verti' rod' working `insaid lever andr formed-withbracket, substantially 'as' d escribe'dgj )In testimony whereof -I affixmy signature in' i' pr'esenceof two witnesses? wiL-tiAMffP sM'I-T'H Lwitnesses@

